What Do Squats Do? 15 Surprising Benefits of Squats for Both Men and Women

Outside of deadlifts, squats are one of the most neglected types of exercises in my workouts. While many people recommend doing squats using weights, it isn’t necessary, and in fact for full functional strength doing body weight squats maybe even better. If you decide to add squats to your workouts, you should always make sure you do them properly. Here are 15 benefits of squats for men and women.

Squats Develop Functional Strength:

Athlete or not, it’s imperative to have a strong and flexible pair of legs under you to successfully accomplish the days chores. Think of everything you do every day that involves the use of your legs. Whether you’re lifting boxes, climbing the stairs (you do take the stairs, don’t you?), walking, jogging, or working out in the yard, leg strength is one of the most valuable commodities any person can have.

Squats do more than develop leg strength. Squats are in reality a full body exercise that builds strength and endurance. They work the thighs, the calves, the core, the lower back, and the chest. Squats are an all-around exercise that develops the sort of functional strength you need for all daily activities.

If you are an athlete, squats are indispensable to your program of total body conditioning.

Squats Help You Burn Fat:

Since squats build muscle in the lower body, upper body, and core, you will burn more fat. Why? Because we know for a fact that one of the most effective ways to burn more calories is to put on as much muscle as possible. Squats are a key to increasing muscle mass.

And that’s not all. Bodyweight squats have cardiovascular benefits, too, particularly once you get into the 100 to 500 squats range. They increase metabolism and burn fat during workouts.

Squats Build Endurance In The Lower Body:

Squats – especially bodyweight squats – build up a lot of endurance in the lower body. Because you can build up to doing many reps doing bodyweight squats, you can apply the exercise to increasing leg stamina. They give you greater endurance and power. Bodyweight squats are great for runners, and you’ll notice that most martial artists incorporate bodyweight squats into their workouts.

When you can do 500 squats, you will have achieved a level of lower-body endurance that will make you the envy of your workout buddies.

Squats Keep You Flexible:

Squats help you maintain flexibility in the body, which makes them a critical exercise as you grow older. Move it or lose it is what they say, and squats are a great way to get full body movement in a simple and effective exercise. When performed properly (see below) the bodyweight squat keeps the joints limber and strong.

Squats Help You Main Stability:

Squats help you maintain stability and balance. As we age, the ability to maintain stability and balance are critical to avoiding falls and other accidents. But no matter what your age is, squats make you more stable in the lower body because you’re training the lower body muscles in a holistic fashion – as a group, keeping them strong so your entire body is more stable whether you’re exercising or cleaning out the gutters.

Boosting testosterone in men is one of the many benefits of squats.

Squats Build Strength and Increase Testosterone:

Sure, squats build up your legs and your upper body. But this sort of exercise is so intense that it actually triggers the production of testosterone and human growth hormone, which build muscle. Whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s that human growth hormone and testosterone that is going to give you more muscle mass.

Squats Help Stabilize Muscles Around The Pelvis and Hips:

Most injuries at home, at work, or in the gym happen because muscles in the body are not strong enough to do what it is you’re asking of them. Squats build up the muscles in the upper thighs, core, and lower back – the very muscles that help stabilize the pelvis and hips, helping you maintain proper posture so you’ll keep looking good while making you less prone to injury or accident when you’re working out, or out working.

Squats Are Good For Your Lower Back:

When properly performed, squats actually helps strengthen the lower back. If you are an office worker this exercise is critical for you. We all know that sitting for long periods is a killer – literally. Study after study has shown that sitting for long periods can also wreak havoc on your lower back muscles. Squats are the magic key to preventing back pain and avoiding lower back injuries.

Squats Will Give You A Solid Core:

Squats are a full body exercise that fully and deeply engages all of the muscles in the core. Those core muscles are a vital part of helping you keep your body stable and balanced when you’re moving. Again, we’re talking about functional strength. For the functional strength that keeps you going day in and day out, you want a strong core to support the internal organs and the central part of the body. Squats do that for you. In that regard, renegade rolls are also very beneficial for the entire body core.

Squats Help Your Digestive System:

Do we really need to say anything more about this? Squats keep things moving. Literally. As you perform a series of squats, you’re massaging the internal organs and stimulating the lower digestive tract. Want to move? Do some squats.

Squats Make Everyday Activities Easier:

Because squats are such a great full body functional exercise, you’ll find that by doing them you reap the benefits in more than just a workout. You will feel good every day.

Squats Boost Overall Athletic Performance:

Is it any wonder that Ultimate Fighting champions, martial artists, and wrestlers integrate bodyweight and weighted squats into their workout routines? Squats give you explosive power in the lower body in addition to building up the chest, core, and lower back. This explosive power comes in handy when you’re playing baseball, basketball, or just trying to avoid being pinned to the mat.

Squats Build Mental Toughness:

If you can do 500 squats, you’ll not only be in tip-top condition, but you will find that your mental toughness your mental endurance will improve too. The very act of committing yourself to an exercise as vigorous as squats is almost enough by itself to give you a will of iron. Add the physical fitness results, and your brain will obey your every command.

Squats Are Easy To Perform:

Squats are easy to perform. Maintaining proper form is key. Once you know how to do a proper body weight squat, you can do it anywhere. Those of us who work in offices sit too much, and we know it. Take a break during the day and do a couple of dozen squats in your office. You’ll not only maintain and enhance mental alertness. You’ll offset the damage done by sitting for prolonged periods staring at a glowing screen.

Squats Will Boost Your Backside:

Well, of course they will. Squats are the best exercise for improving the strength of the glutes and giving them that pleasing shape we all want to have.

Now that you know 15 benefits of squats for men and women, get out there and learn how to do a proper body weight squat and start enjoying the benefits yourself.